WordPress Themes do make a difference with SEO

More and more sites are utilizing WordPress to create their websites. Why? It’s a proven fact that search engines “love” wordpress layout. Many site owners love WordPress as well simply because of the ease of use it’s so simple anyone can do it.

Fact is, it is so easy to update the site your self and change the look and feel of the design of the site is as easy as a few clicks.

Changing the “appearance” is done by changing what is called the “theme” which you can do right from the admin panel on the site.

There are literally 10’s of thousands of themes out there varying in size and color to meet your needs. One thing in my opinion that makes the biggest difference is how SEO friendly is it. In case you are unaware SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, that is the practice of Optimizing or enhancing your website so that search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing can more easily “know” what your site is about and determine what the keywords are that people are looking for to find you site.

Choosing the right theme is important if SEO matters to you (and it should). Now I’m not just saying this I’ve tested this time and time again over the years just to prove that this face is true. In fact I’ve done it most recently with a theme I “thought” was SEO friendly and the results was discouraging.

I discovered this recent proof by performing a marketing exercise that I do about once a week on my top keywords or buzz words for my top sites. To do this I just go to the top search engines and type in the key word or phrase that I’m checking. In this case it was for my book using the term “50 Biggest Website mistakes” (note: for the search I didn’t use quotes).

The results this week upset me. You see, in past weeks for that term, my site for the book was all over the first page of Google. This week it was not, in fact I couldn’t find the site in the first seven pages of the search engine. So my first thought was to try again, and again same results even for the other search engines. So I had to think what changed? And it dawned on me that recently I had changed the theme of the site to one that was to better enhance the book (so I thought). I had originally thought that the theme I had used was designed with SEO in mind but apparently not.

Now I could’ve used a plugin like All-in-One-SEO and kept the theme but I don’t have the luxury of extra time to add one more step to my processes nor do I want too. The first action was to go back to a theme I “knew” would work and wait for the search engines to respider the site. As of this post I have just changed the theme about 48 hours ago and I’m certain it won’t be long before I’m back on top again.

7 Comments

Frank,
Thank you for sharing this info. It’s really helpful to know this, because it’s from your ‘real life’ experience – not just theory.
I have been considering changing the theme of my blog… this will get me to think a little more about that.
Thanks for posting the themes that you think work well.
Kenny

Hi Frank,
Greetings from the Coast of Maine.
Thanks for the “heads up”. If YOU are having challenges then are the rest of us doome?
Your findings are interesting. They may explain why some of my clients’ WP sites show up on the first page within hours while others can’t be found after weeks. And we use All-In-Seo on all our WP sites.
Please let me know your results.

Hey Guys I’m glad you found this useful. The theme that I’ve used the longest is Thesis this site (frankdeardurff.com) has been on a thesis for many years. I just recently applied a thesis “skin” (http://thesisthemes.com) as it’s called to apply some great looking styles but give me all of the abilities of the Thesis theme. I’m applying the same them to my book site.

I do know that Armand’s MarketerCMS theme is VERY SEO friendly because he has looked at it from the ground up from the eyes of a marketer.

Now I use Woo Themes because of the ease to work with them. I don’t mind doing the extra work but I also have more than one blog too. I am using Elegant Themes for one blog I noticed that it got google ranking in less than a week after I changed the theme from a free one to one I paid for. So I don’t know if that would make a difference or not but for one blog it did. There are a few plugins you can buy that will do the work for you as well. So it comes down to how much work, and what is your theme of the blog overall is meant to be. Just my thoughts anyway
😉 I get your newsletter…

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About Frank Deardurff

An early love for graphics brought me online 20 years ago which lead me to consume a vast knowledge in marketing, conversion, design and various types of web technologies. That information led to becoming a serial entrepreneur, author, coach, trainer and That One Web Guy! Discover More »

Many thanks for your critique yesterday.
You have provided a clear pathway for me to delegate and I’m very grateful for that. It’s a pleasure to see an expert at work!
The recording was a real surprise bonus too - So sincere thanks again.

If you want a direct-response web site that works without spending every last cent you have and without wasting your precious time playing babysitter to an impossible-to-track-down designer call ThatOneWebGuy.com. Frank is fast, responsive and extremely affordable. I especially appreciate his firm grasp of direct marketing principles, which means I never have to waste time justifying why I want my sites to look a certain way he delivers exactly what I want the first time out. Snatch him up while you still can!

We would not even have a website up if it weren't for Frank Deardurff. His understanding of the Internet Marketing world was key to helping us get our website up and have it integrated to all the moving parts such as shopping cart and autoresponder. There are so many things non-techies like us don't even think about. That's where Frank comes in! And he has helped us make the site beautiful. Thanks, Frank for being so easy to work with - we appreciate you!

Frank Deardurff's Inner Circle is incredible! I was having an issue with PhotoShop and reached out to Frank. Within 30 minutes he had recorded a video just for me showing exactly what I needed to do. Now that's what I call service!

Frank is one Amazing Guy! He is a webmaster, Graphic Designer, IT Know-it-all, and a great and true friend. Whatever you have a question on, Frank will know the answer. We compare Photoshop tricks often - he being again - That One Know It All! And I love it. He created the Ask Database, and is ThatOneWebGuy, has telesemianrs for those who don't know how to do anything, and walks them easily through it all. This is a man worth getting to know.

Mary Mazzullo

SeminarPhotography and Photography Specialist

There is one man that the top online marketers trust with their web presence; there is one man who understands what makes for great Direct Response Marketing web design; there is one man who possesses all those qualities and is also an entrepreneur in his own rite, and who can teach what he knows in a way that is easily understood by mere mortals; and that man is Frank Deardurff.

Frank I'd like to personally thank you so very much for putting together this material. I've been playing around with HTML for a while now and definitely at the level of know enough to be dangerous.
While I'm completely satisfied with my webmaster there are times where I defintiely want to make a couple minor tweaks and with the knowledge I've gained from your material you make that a reality, so thank you again for taking the time for putting the material in such a simple to understand fashion yet at the same time making it so powerful to use.
I would recommend this to anyone wanting to get to the next step and having more flexibility and potential not needing the services of a webmaster at all. Thank You!

Joe Mack

I just wanted to say, i'm very excited about WordPress Strategies because I've know about the power of wordpress for quite sometime. I've worked with several different people to install wordpress and turn it into things like membership sites and salespages and so forth but, the fact is i'm not very technical.
I can do the different steps but it takes me forever and I have had difficulty finding people who were technical, but also fluid in how to make WordPress work.
So when I found out that Frank who is someone that I enormously respect for his understanding of wordpress and he's worked on some of the most impressive wordpress installations that I know of, in fact I've learned a lot of what I know from Frank, so when I found out he had created step by step videos for how to do this I realized that this not only something I can use but I've reffered several of my coaching students to use it as well because WordPress is such a fantastic platform and finally someone has taken any confusion out of it and just made it a simple no brainer step-by-step way to use it.
So if you're looking for a website or if you are want to set up a blog this is all you need thats it. You know wordpress is free, the different steps you need to take is all spelled out, you don't need a webmaster, you don't need to stress out about it, every single step has been demonstrated in video format its absolutely brilliant Frank I'm really excited you created this, thanks a lot buddy.

Craig Perrine

Maverick Marketer.com

WordPress Strategies is an invaluable resource.
I had no prior experience and I went from zero-to-online in ONE day after watching all the available videos.
The step-by-step instructions are easy to understand and follow. I've saved thousands of dollars in web design and tech support by using Wordpress Strategies...and the best part is, I'm the one in control of my site!
Thanks so much!

Deann Atwood

Professional Copywriting Services / deannatwood.com

Frank Deardurff is a man of character that you can trust.
That's why I asked him to teach a full-day workshop on web design at one of my weekend home business conventions. He is the expert web master that Internet Millionaires turn to when they have a problem they can't solve.
If you're ready to learn the technical side of the Internet, Frank is the only teacher you need.

Rhea Perry

EducatingforSuccess.com

Hi, this is Lynn Pierce of lynnpierce.com and Frank Deardurff has been a cherished resource for me over the last several years as I've built my information marketing business.
As a non-techie, I really appreciate how someone as knowledgeable as Frank, can still simplify what he teaches to the point that anyone can understand it, and follow what he does.
Frank is the ONLY webguy when it comes to putting together all the tools you need to be successful.
In fact, thanks to Frank, I use the web basics that he teaches and the tools he recommends on a daily basis and they are a vital component in not only marketing my products online, but also offline events, like the Women's Business Empowerment Summit each year.- So Thanks Frank!

Lynn Pierce

lynnpierce.com

Frank, I can’t begin to express my gratitude and amazement at your help today. Last week we spoke about you helping me redesign and reprogram my web site to help with my conversion rate. In the meantime, I played around with – and totally screwed up – my home page. Just after I bought a whole new round of pay per click traffic, too!
I called you in a panic, hoping that you could at least help me how to undo the worst of the damage until you could take a serious look and fix it. Instead, you downloaded the page, asked me three questions, and totally fixed – and improved – the page in about five minutes. Before we were done chatting, you had emailed the new page to me, explained exactly how I should upload it, and what procedure to follow to avoid making this mistake again. Even though I was feeling like an idiot, you were totally respectful, upbeat, calm, understanding, and reassuring.
Thank you so much for all your help!

Hi, I’m Valerie Dawson of TheDawsonMethod.com. When I first started working with Frank about 6 years ago, I was a newbie and a true techno-phobe. But with Frank’s excellent coaching and training, I was able to learn how to quickly create a website to sell my info product. And to my surprise, it actually made money right away!
Today, I now have mulitple info products, and I absolutely love getting all the checks in the mail every month, even for the products I created a long time ago! Just one product alone has generated over 6 figures in passive income!
Now here’s my secret: I still don’t know much about html or any computer technology. What Frank did for me, is he broke down the information in a way that I could easily understand it, so I would know how to delegate and have others do the work for me.
Frank is truly a wonderful, patient teacher who really wants you to succeed. I am so grateful for Frank’s guidance and I highly recommend his products and services.

Valerie Dawson

TheDawsonMethod.com

“Frank Deardurff is a consummate and multi-talented web professional — and his excellent work speaks for itself. Unlike other web designers I’ve encountered, Frank has a firm grasp of direct-response marketing and knows how to translate a website’s sales process into web design and technology that works. Combined with his fast turn-around time and reasonable prices, he’s the No. 1 choice in my book.

Maria Veloso

Director of Web Copywriting University and author of “Web Copy That Sells: The Secret to Creating a Profitable Website” / WebCopywritingUniversity.com

Frank is life saver, who is forever going the extra mile for clients like me and pulls all-nighters when necessary to do the impossible in a blink of an eye…i like, respect, appreciate and recommend Frank and his services without qualification.

“When it comes to your online presence, your site gets compared to other sites in your industry. You may have prospects that drop by and leave because your website is too confusing or hard-to-navigate. Well you’ll never have that problem if Frank Deardurff is on your team. He’s been passionate about online design and resources for many decades. What I really respect about Frank is his knowledge about designing direct response websites that work. Whether you’re looking for a brilliant web designer who really captures your essence or want to understand the art of designing a powerful site yourself, Frank is your go-to guy”

Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero

Copywriter, Creator of The Conscious Copywriting Formula, and Author of “The She Factor” / RedHotCopy.com

I myself have delivered many of my own training courses as well as webinars and teleseminars for many other coaching groups. I’ve also published a book titled “50 Biggest Website Mistakes”.

Having many decades of experience in various forms of graphics and IT experience and aspects of online business, my vision is to help others overcome their fears and frustration with taking their businesses online and reach the next level of success.